If It Makes You Happy
by Heart-Crossed
Summary: If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. If it makes you happy, why the hell are you so sad? Features Jason and Elizabeth miserable in their lives, meeting up at Jake's, and finding an entirely new freedom with each other. R
1. Misery Loves Company

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

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~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter One:  
Misery Loves Company

Standing in front of a ceiling to floor mirror wall, Elizabeth Spencer stares at her reflection, finally able to catch her breath after a whirlwind photo shoot. She knew the peace and quiet won't last, even though she always wishes it would.

The life of a super model isn't one that provides with much personal time or peace and quiet. Soon enough, an army of people will rush in here, setting up their different stations as another army prepares her photo shoot in the next room.

This is the last one for the day, her husband having promised her that much, and she hopes he doesn't snowball her into another photo shoot that will last into the night like the last time. She could already hear his voice as she stood there.

As if he was in the room, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders, coaxing her into photo shoot after photo shoot. To think, this all started with a small town magazine and a new label as the Face of Deception. Boy did that name fit her well.

She's been deceiving her husband from the moment he suggested she become his mother's new face at her magazine. Elizabeth hates modelling, she hates being the center of attention, and - most of all - she hates being in front of a camera.

After that one frightful night, she never wanted to be anywhere near something like this, yet there she was. All because she loves her husband just a little too much. Always wanting to please him. To keep him happy. To keep his love.

The slamming open of the ballroom doors signal the start of the chaos known as her career. The army of people start filing in, setting up their stations, just like she predicted. A few of them, better known as the assistants, crowd around her, asking if she needs anything, if they can get her anything. One pulls up a chair for her to sit, not that she wanted to see, but she was given no choice in the matter.

Looking down, she notices its a chair on wheels, which meant that she would be transferred from station to station on that chair. Something she truly hated. Every time they were in a rush and they made her sit in that chair, suffice to say that she felt completely sick by the time she finally made it to the photo shoot.

"Tea, Mrs. Spencer?" one assistant asked her, holding up a hot cup of tea.

"Or maybe you'd like hot cocoa, Mrs. Spencer?" the second assistant asks, holding up the mug of cocoa.

"Or what about coffee, Mrs. Spencer?" the last one spoke, holding up her cup of coffee. "Anything you want, we'll get it for you."

"I don't want anything!" she snaps, rising to her feet. "Just go help the others set up!"

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Spencer." the three say in unison before walking off, setting her beverages on the table beside her. Like she was supposed to drink each cup of whatever they made.

Sitting back down on the chair, she lets out a weary sigh, knowing that the crew will be done soon and then she'll be passed from station to station soon enough. For now, she swears she'll do her best to just relax, hoping and praying this was the last photo shoot for the night.

"Jason? Baby, are you home?" Sam Morgan calls out to her husband, walking through the penthouse in search of him. "Jason?"

"In here." he finally speaks up, causing her to walk into the guest bedroom.

"What are you doing in here?" Sam looks at him confusedly. "You never want to come in here."

"Yeah, well...I'm here." Jason says plainly, shutting the closet door. "You were looking for me?"

"Um, yeah." Sam shakes her head. "Sonny told me that things went badly at your meeting. He thought you might want to talk to me about it."

"I don't." Jason says plainly, suddenly reminded about the fact that he had nearly been shot. Fortunately it was only a little deeper than a graze and the bullet didn't actually hit him. "I just want a beer."

"Are you sure?" Sam looks at him curiously. "He said that you were..."

"I said I don't want to talk about it." he states, walking out of the room, heading for the kitchen and that bottle of beer that's practically shouting his name.

"Jason, please don't shut me out." Sam insists, placing soft hands on his back. "Sonny said its okay if you talk to me about it."

Sonny, Sonny, Sonny. God, his best friend's name on her lips was just too much to bear. Yes, he knows that it was his choice to fall in love with her, to provide for her and want to help her, but it didn't stop him from wanting her and Sonny as far apart as possible. Ever since they got married, Sonny has done whatever he could to keep him and Sam together.

The moment Sonny told him that it was okay to talk to Sam about business, Jason knew something was definitely off with them. It was like Sonny was trying his hardest to keep them together so he wouldn't fall back into familiar patterns with Sam. With that doubt planted in Jason's mind, more began to grow and now he just wanted it all to stop.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jason states again, shoving the beer back into the fridge before walking out of the kitchen. He needs something stronger. A lot stronger.

"Jason, hey, man." Sonny walks into the penthouse, causing Jason to swallow back a groan. It seemed like Jason had to knock before entering Sonny's penthouse, but his was a free for all. "We need to talk."

"Sam's here." Jason says plainly as his wife walks into the living room.

"Hey, Sonny." Sam greets him, standing by Jason's side.

"That's okay." Sonny shrugs, taking his seat on the club chair. "This won't take long."

Sitting there, Jason tries his best to listen to Sonny talking about business, but it was just too hard with his wife sitting right there. Instead of focusing on the words coming out of his best friend's mouth, he was too busy focusing on the body language passed between his best friend and his wife. From what he was seeing, Jason didn't like it one bit. He felt like he was drowning, he had to get out of there. He just had to break free. If only for tonight.

"I have to go." Jason states abruptly, shooting up to his feet. "Don't wait up."

As both of them called out his name, Jason simply walked out of the penthouse, slamming the door shut behind him. Sam and Sonny both looked at each other, confused by what had just happened, wondering what it was all about. Jason didn't care about what they were thinking, not now, he just wanted to get away. Straddling his bike, he speeds off into the night.

"Elizabeth?" Lucky calls her name, smirking when her eyes meet his. "I said sexy, honey, give me sexy."

Flashing lights, demands spewing from her husband's mouth, it was all too much. Everyone's staring, they're all staring, drowning her in all their attention. Its all too much. Way too much. She couldn't take it. Not right now. Right now she needs to break free. She had to get out of there. She had to. If only for tonight.

She didn't care that she was in the middle of a photo shoot, currently getting her picture taken, Elizabeth ripped off the jewelry and ran out of the building. She had to get out of there. She had to. She didn't even turn around at the sound of her husband shouting her name. She had to get away. She had to.

"Give me a bottle of your best tequila!" Both Jason and Elizabeth demand of the bartender in Jake's at the same time.

"Unfortunately, I only have one bottle left." Coleman, the bartender, holds it up, looking between the two. "Care to share?"

Jason and Elizabeth look at each other, sizing each other up, before turning to the bartender. "Two shot glasses." they demand, Jason taking the bottle while she takes the shot glasses. They both didn't care that they didn't know each other, all they cared about was getting blind drunk.

"Elizabeth Spencer." she says as he pours her a shot of tequila.

"Jason Morgan." he says before taking his shot.

"Nice to meet you." she says, downing her second shot, holding out her glass for her next one.

"You, too." he says, refilling her glass and his. "Now, shut up and drink."

"Don't mind if I do."

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**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. One Tequila, Two Tequila, Bedroom Door

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Two:  
One Tequila, Two Tequila, Bedroom Door

Shot after shot, Jason and Elizabeth down each without a care in the world. Everything past that bar door doesn't register, they don't care, for now the only that matters is the next shot of tequila. If he cared to think about it, he'd be impressed with the amount of tequila the little petite woman was putting away. If she cared enough to think about it, she'd be amazed by the way he refilled their glasses without spilling a single drop each time.

With each shot, they knew it wasn't working, the escape was barely there and the freedom still far from their grasp. They needed something more, something to drown out their lives, to give them a true escape. Tilting the empty bottle of tequila, they both sigh in unison, realizing that more alcohol wouldn't do the trick. As their eyes meet, something inside them clicks and a new idea is born. A more primal one...more biblical.

Rising to his feet, he holds his hand out to her, which she takes without hesitation. Pulling out a couple bills, he holds it up to the bartender before tossing it on the table and guiding her up the steps to his old apartment, locking the door behind them once they got inside.

He could see that she had never done it before, by the look in her eyes, but he could also see that she wanted it. That she wanted him. So, without much more thought, he slams her up against the door, claiming her lips with a heated passion. Her arms move to wrap around him, clinging to him for dear life, taking whatever he had to offer.

Pure desire, fueled by the alcohol coursing through them, they claw at each other's clothes, stripping down to their bare flesh. Pushing her further up the door, to where her legs are wrapped around his waist, Jason takes claim to her breasts that are right at face level.

As he gives her body the attention she had craved so badly, she tilts her head up, moans escaping as if they had never been free before. Her nails dig into his flesh, the pleasure too much for her bear, flowing through her like she had never experienced before.

When she thinks she can't handle anymore, when he gets her to the point of completely coming undone, Jason slides his form into her, taking claim to a part of her that only one other man had ever had the privilege of taking claim to. He takes his time, going painstakingly slow, showing her the kind of pleasure that only he could provide.

Growing closer to the edge together, he moves faster, harder, slamming into her as she moves just as hard and fast as he does. Their moans of ecstasy tears through them, filling the room with their passion filled embraces, bringing them back off the edge and down to the world around them. When he thinks she'll be done with him, she does what he doesn't expect.

"My turn." she says, voice filled with seduction, pushing him up against the door like he had done to her.

She starts at his mouth, kissing him like he had never been kissed before, so raw, so primal. Her tongue snakes into his mouth, tasting all there was to taste, nibbling on his lip as if she was about to just eat him all up.

Her venture moves downward, down his neck, over his chest, nibbling and licking her whole way through, driving him completely insane. She notices the wound on his side, but doesn't question it, now wasn't a time for questions.

Her hands roam his body freely as her mouth does its task, making all the way down to the part of his body that had driven her to the brink of insanity. The moment her mouth took claim to his now solid form, Jason thought he would die right there, her mouth doing things to him that he had never thought was possible. He could barely brace himself for what she was doing to him.

Just when he thinks he's about to completely shatter to pieces, Elizabeth stops her attack on his male form before rising to her feet and taking claim to his lips, her hands taking her mouth's place on his solid form. She moves faster and harder, doing what she pleases as she kisses him soundly, snaking her tongue back into his mouth again.

Reaching the peak, for the second time, Jason explodes in her embrace, turning them around to slam her up against the door. For something started out of a need to escape, way too much alcohol, and a crappy life, Jason was rather enjoying their little back and forth battle for dominance.

"Is he here?" Sam asks the bartender, confused by the look on his face. "Well?"

"Do you see him?" he counters, wiping down the glasses from the sink. "Because I don't."

"Okay...was he here earlier?" Sam amends, eyeing him seriously. "Come on, Coleman, this is serious! Was Jason here or not?"

"Nope." he shakes his head. "Not at all."

"Why couldn't you just say that in the first place?" Sam groans, turning on her heels. "Thanks for nothing, Coleman."

"You're welcome." Coleman smirks as she pulls open the door. "Don't hesitate to come again."

"Yeah." she mutters, rolling her eyes. "Right."

Across town, Elizabeth's husband can be found calling her cellphone over and over again, leaving message after message until finally he gives in. Deciding that she simply needed time to get a grip, Lucky decides to pull out the film that they had already finished and get to work on it. If she's going to go off like this, at least one of them should get something productive done.

Not that either Jason or Elizabeth for either of their spouses at the moment, too lost in each other and the moment out of time that they've found themselves in. Moving from the door to the floor and eventually making it to the bed, Jason and Elizabeth explore each other's bodies and the different ways to pleasure the other for the rest of the night and clear into morning. Finally able to escape their lives, even if its only for the moment.

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**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. With a Sober Mind

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Three:  
With a Sober Mind

Soft and slow. That's the kind of morning that greeted both Jason and Elizabeth, knowing that they'd be parting ways soon and wanting to etch the last time they had together into memory. With the morning light shining through the apartment, they take things slow, exploring their bodies with apt attention and satisfaction.

Like all great things, though, it inevitably comes to an end, both their cellphone's ringing as they lay flat on their back - trying to catch their breaths. With a silent agreement, they gather their clothes to get dressed. Elizabeth taking claim to the bathroom, Jason opting for the room. Both realizing what they had done, both realizing they had no regrets.

Meeting the daylight when they walk out of the bar, Elizabeth turns to look at him curiously when she spots a man standing with a car door open, as if expecting her to get in. She wasn't afraid, having seen him around town, knowing he was a true sweetheart, but she was still confused.

"I wasn't sure if you'd need a ride." Jason gives as his explanation. "Johnny's a good guy. He'll take you where you need to go."

"Oh." she glances over at the guy referred to as Johnny. "Um...thanks."

"Sure." he smiles slightly. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." she shakes her head. "I'll be fine...thanks for the ride."

"Anytime."

With a silent goodbye, Elizabeth walks over to the waiting car while Jason straddles his bike, heading to different parts of town. For a moment, she watches him start up his bike and take off before she gets into the car and waits for Johnny to get into the driver's seat. Telling him where she needed to go before settling into the back seat, she refuses to imagine what awaited her at home.

"Jason, man, where have you been?" Sonny asks him the moment he gets off the elevator on their floor. "Sam's been worried sick."

"I'm here, I'm fine." he says plainly, slipping the key into his lock before pushing open the door to his penthouse. "Where is she?"

"She should be waiting for you upstairs."

Without another word, Jason walks into his penthouse, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Thankful that he had the damn locks changed a few days before. Of course, it wouldn't matter if Sam keeps giving Sonny the new keys. Shaking his head of thoughts of them, he walks into his kitchen to get a bottle of beer before walking upstairs to check on his wife.

"Where have you been?" Lucky says accusingly the moment she walks into the house.

"Out." she gives as her reply, hanging up her coat before walking into the kitchen for a glass of juice.

"Well while you were 'out', I've been trying to save our asses." Lucky says plainly, grabbing a glass of his own special blend before sitting at the table. "If your pictures weren't so damn captivating, we'd both be out of a job. Do you get that?"

"Only for the hundredth time...yeah." she sighs, taking a long gulp of juice. "You fixed it right? So, no harm, no foul."

"Luckily for you, I was able to get us a new deadline." he states, taking a gulp of his contraption. "We're in for a long one today, thanks to your little tantrum yesterday."

"I just needed a break." she says seriously. "Its none stop photo shoots and publicity stunts...I just need a break."

"You know, this is your dream, too!" Lucky snaps, rising to his feet before heading out of the kitchen. "Why don't you start acting like it?"

"Because its not my dream." she sighs, staring into her glass of juice, her husband long since walked out of hearing range. "The man I fell in love with would have known that."

Getting ready for the long day ahead, Elizabeth snacks on a few oranges before making her way up to get showered and changed, knowing her husband will be hounding her to hurry up, soon enough. Standing in front of the mirror, dressed for success, she smiles slightly as she remembers the previous night, all too vividly.

"Hurry up, we're running late!" Lucky shouts through the door.

"We're always running late." she mutters, taking a deep breath. "Even if we're two hours early, we're running late."

Gathering her purse and her wedding ring, she walks out of the bathroom and allows him to rush her to the car. Because they'll be "late" if he doesn't rush her. No matter how many times she tries to get him to slow down, it never works, always something important to get to. Always someone important to please. Always someone other than her.

"Jason!" Sam pushes herself off the bed and fits herself into his arms. "I had been so worried when I couldn't find you. I know you said that you weren't hurt that badly, but still."

"I'm fine." Jason says simply, pulling away slightly. "Shouldn't you be meeting with one of your clients?"

"Well, yeah, but I was worried about you." Sam looks at him confusedly. "I was worried about you, Jason. I couldn't possibly think straight without knowing you were okay."

"I'm fine." he repeats himself. "You should go."

"I can see that now, but at least let me look at your wound." Sam insists, reaching for his shirt.

"Stop." Jason moves back, suddenly remembering the light scratches on his back and hickies along his chest from last night. "I'm fine, Sam."

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint." Sam relents, reaching for her jacket. "At the very least, take it easy. For my peace of mind, okay?"

"Okay." Jason says simply, kissing her softly. "Now go before you lose a client."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me." Sam smirks, running her hand down his chest. "Good thing I know better, huh?"

Watching his wife walk out of their bedroom, he downs whatever's left of his beer, shaking his head as he walks over to plop down on the bed. Yeah, good thing you know better, he thinks to himself before setting the bottle down on the night stand and laying back on the bed. A few hours sleep, that's all he needs, then he'll be back to work and settling whatever problems face him at the warehouses.

"Jason!" his sister greets him with a bright smile, hours later in the local diner.

"Hey." he smiles slightly, hugging her snugly before stepping back. "How are you?"

"I've been great." Emily assures, walking around the counter to pour him a cup of coffee to go. "What about you? I see you're still in one piece."

"I'm fine." he assures, taking the cup before paying for it. "If you need anything, you'll call?"

"Always." Emily smiles brightly before gesturing to Elizabeth. "You know my friend Elizabeth, right?"

"We've met." Jason keeps his face neutral as Elizabeth turns to look at him.

"Yeah." Elizabeth smiles slightly, hoping she's not blushing. "We've met."

"Okay then." Emily looks at them curiously before giving her brother his change. "I'll let you too chat while I tend to customers."

"Did you get home okay?" Jason asks, barely noticing his sister walk off.

"Um, yeah." she shakes her head. "You were right...that guy Johnny is a really good guy. He walked me to my door and everything."

"Good." he says simply. "I have to go to work, but if you need anything...give me a call. Emily has my number."

"I'll be sure to get it from her then." she smiles slightly, staring into his eyes for a moment.

"You do that." he shakes his head. "See you around."

"Sure."

Walking over to his sister, he tells her to give Elizabeth his number before walking out of the diner and heading to work. Elizabeth meets Emily's questioning eyes before turning away, not wanting to tell her anything of what happened between her and Jason, unsure of how Emily would take it. Seeing as she hates Lucky, she might be okay with Elizabeth cheating, but with her brother...well, that's still a jump ball at the moment.

"Elizabeth..." Emily drags out her name, as if waiting for an explanation.

"I have to get back to work." Elizabeth rises to her feet, gathering her things. "You know how Lucky gets."

"Do I ever." she scoffs, jotting down Jason's number on an order slip before handing it to Elizabeth. "I don't know what's up with you two, but - if you need to - that's his personal number. Use it."

"Thanks." she says softly, tucking the number into her purse before walking out of the diner, feeling the weight of Emily's gaze the whole way.

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**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Bittersweet Taste of Freedom

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Four:  
Bittersweet Taste of Freedom

Her body aching, her face numb from the constant change of facial expressions, Elizabeth stands in front of her bathroom mirror, little after two in the morning. More than anything, she's thankful that her husband ran out of film or else she'd still be in that damn studio posing for his camera.

Taking out her little moist napkin, she starts to wipe away the thick makeup that has been practically cooked into her skin. If she never saw a single drop of makeup for the rest of her life, it would be too soon. As much as she hated modelling, she hates makeup just as much.

Going through the motions of cleansing her skin once the makeup is off, Elizabeth rinses off all the products before wiping her face dry, thankful to have her face back to its silky soft texture she knows and loves.

Taking a deep breath, she schools her features before she walks back out into their bedroom, not at all surprised to find her husband crashed out on their bed, taking up most of it. Staring at him for a moment, Elizabeth shakes her head before walks over to their dresser, picking up her purse and pulling out that order slip her best friend had given her.

Looking at her husband, she realizes that she won't be sleeping with him tonight, so, she makes her way out into her living room to sit down on her couch. Fiddling with the order slip in her hands, Elizabeth thinks long and hard about picking up her phone and dialing that number. What happened between them at Jake's was in the heat of the moment, this wouldn't be the same, this would be planned.

"Can't you put these off for tomorrow?" Sam questions him, straddling his lap on his Lazy Man desk chair. "Come on, Jase, I'm getting lonely upstairs without you."

"These can't wait." he says simply, taking a deep breath. "I have enough work to handle tomorrow without adding these to it."

"An hour then?" she suggests, kissing him softly. "Please?"

"Sam." he tries to push her off, but she wasn't having it. "Sam, I need to get these done."

"Come on, Jase, you know you want to give in." Sam kisses him along his jawline, down his neck. "Just an hour...promise."

"Samantha!" he snaps and she pulls away shocked, dismounting his lap.

"What did you just call me?" Sam looks at him as if he had just punched her.

The sound of his cellphone ringing is Jason's saving grace, waiting for Sam to walk away in a bout of anger before answering the device, thankful that it ended their impending argument for the time being. Glancing at the number, not recognizing it, he answers it with his enforcer tone.

"Morgan." he says firmly.

"Um, hi." the soft voice replies, causing him to switch gears, returning to his normal tone. "Its Elizabeth."

"Uh, yeah, I know." he counters, glancing up at the stairs before sitting down on his desk chair. "You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine." she says quickly before sighing and taking a deep breath. "Well, that's not entirely true...are you busy?"

"Don't worry about it." he smiles slightly. "What do you need?"

"A way to escape." she admits, glancing up at the stairs that would lead her back to her husband. "Got anything in mind?"

"Yeah." he assures, rising to his feet before grabbing his keys from the hook. "You at home?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there soon."

"I'll be waiting."

Making his way out of the penthouse before his wife came back down, he gathers his files before riding the elevator down to his bike and straddling it. Storing his files in his side bag, Jason starts up his bike and takes off, headed for Elizabeth's place. Having gotten the directions from Johnny, he gets there in record time, finding her waiting outside for him.

"Hey." she greets him with a soft smile.

"Hey." he replies, holding out his hand for hers. "Ready?"

"More than you know."

Taking his hand in hers, Elizabeth follows him down the path to his bike before accepting the helmet he holds out for her. Putting it on her head, Elizabeth wouldn't dare admit it, but she had no idea how to strap the thing on. Looking at him for help, she sees something in his eyes that she could have sworn looked like laughter before he helped strap the thing on.

With her arms secured around his navel, Jason kicks the bike off its stand and speeds them off into the early day, going faster and faster as she starts to scream into the wind. He had told her to scream if she didn't like something, but he knew enough to know that her screams weren't of fear, but of excitement.

Turning them onto the exit, he takes them up the winding road, all the way to Vista Point, parking them just shy of the stairs that lead up to the lookout point. A part of him wondered what made him bring her there, naturally one to avoid this place like the plague, but he doesn't question it. He simply helps her off the bike, unstrapping the helmet for her, before leading her up the stairs to the bench there.

"You wanna talk?" he questions after a long moment of silence falls over them.

"Talk?" she looks at him curiously, confused by what he meant.

"About why you're not entirely fine."

"Oh...that." she sighs, shaking her head. "Its a long story."

"I've got time."

Staring into his eyes for a moment, seeing that he wasn't kidding, that he really wanted to hear what she had to say, Elizabeth spilled everything that's been plaguing her mind and heart. A surprising realization to her is that Jason was actually listening to her. Though, he obviously didn't get half the things she was getting at, he still listened as if she was telling him something important and interesting.

"Why don't you just stop?" he questions, after she stops talking.

"Huh?"

"If you hate modelling so much, why don't you stop?"

"Its easier said than done." she sighs, turning to look out at the view. "My entire marriage was started on the jump start of my career. I don't know where my marriage will end up if I walked away from it."

"What do you mean it started on the jump start of your career?"

"Me and my husband, we're a package deal, so to speak." she laughs softly, realizing how crazy she just sounded. "Photographer and model...husband and wife...if I'm hired, so is he...and vice versa."

"Without you, your husband's career is pretty much over?" he guesses, looking at her as she shakes her head. "That's no way to live...sticking with a career just to keep your husband happy."

"Opposed to what?"

"Making yourself happy."

"What about you?" she counters, looking at him once again. "There must have been a reason you ended up in bed with me...ever think about taking your own advice?"

"I'm good at giving advice." he chuckles, smiling slightly. "Not at taking it."

"Okay...I guess I can understand that." she admits, smiling slightly when he slides his hand over to hers, taking hold of it. "I'm not that good at taking advice either."

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"I actually want to paint." she admits, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Do you mind dropping me off at my studio?"

"Not at all."

From Vista Point, they head to her studio, in a building that he never would have imagined her taking up shop in. He doesn't question it though, knowing that she gave him the same courtesy with his gunshot wound on his side. Standing outside her studio, they turn to face each other, Jason feeling the need to hold her hands in his and doing so.

"I'm not sure what you were doing when I called, but thank you for dropping everything and taking me for a ride." Elizabeth says gratefully. "It was exactly what I needed."

"I was just doing paperwork...nothing that important."

"Sure it wasn't." she laughs softly, taking a deep breath when his thumbs start to stroke her hands softly. "Anyway, I should get inside. I'm sure your not-so-important paperwork still needs to be done."

"I actually brought it with me..."

"Is that your way of saying you want to stay?" she counters, eyeing him intently.

"I..."

"Because if it is...the answer's yes." she eases his anxiety, watching as he relaxes again. "I don't really feel like being alone."

"I'll go grab my stuff from my bike then." he takes a deep breath before releasing her hands. "I won't take long."

"I'll be waiting."

For more than a few hours, Jason settles at her desk, finishing up the files that he needed to get done while she sat by the open window painting whatever came to heart. It was easy. Easier than either of them thought it would be, simply existing with each other, in pure silence. Well, with the exception of her light humming, that caught him off guard when she had started, but something he found himself relaxing to, soon enough.

"Were you able to finish your not-so-important paperwork?" she says teasingly, smiling brightly when he smiles at her.

"Yeah." he shakes his head. "I got it done."

"Good." she shakes her head. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"Count on it."

Pulling her towards him slowly, Jason frames her face in his hands before taking claim to her lips when she doesn't pull away. Melting into his touch, Elizabeth's eyes slide closed, amazed with how gentle he was being with her, kissing her soft and slow.

When breathing becomes essential, they pull away, saying their goodbyes on the docks by her building before going their separate ways. Back to their spouses and the lives, hoping that they'll get to escape it again, with each other, real soon.

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**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Its Like A Magnetic Pull

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Five:  
Its Like A Magnetic Pull

How was it possible to miss someone she barely knew? Elizabeth's mind travels back to Jason, their ride to Vista Point and their time in her studio, while she's being pushed from station to station, getting makeup cooked into her skin once again.

She doesn't know how its possible she could possibly miss him this much, but she does and she wishes she could just call him up and run away with him again. Away from all these people, away from all the daily hassles of her life, and just be free.

"Elizabeth, baby, are you ready?" her husband asks her, causing her to look at him.

"Uh, yeah." she shakes her head. "I'm ready."

"Great." he says, helping her up from the chair. "We've got a long shoot ahead of us for this layout. We're getting the cover."

"The cover?" she looks at him confusedly. "Really?"

"Yeah." he scoffs, as if her question was ridiculous, setting her up on the set. "We're golden baby...its only a matter of time before we get every cover, every time."

Just like that, her husband takes on the professional roll of a photographer, directing her in her poses, even angling her whenever she gets it wrong. Every day seemed to be just like that last or, in her words, same shit different settings. With a sigh, she puts her model smile on before posing for him, accepting that this was the way their marriage worked and there was no point in hoping it might change.

"He knows, Sonny." Sam paces back and forth in his penthouse. "I don't know how, but he knows."

"Whoa, slow down." Sonny stops her before she makes him anymore dizzier than he already is. "Lets just think about this logically for a second...don't you think if he knew, he'd do more than just call you Samantha?"

"Okay...so, maybe, he doesn't know." she sighs, allowing him to make her sit on the couch. "But he suspects...I know it. I mean, he hasn't slept with me in three weeks. That's way too long, even for Jason."

"Sam, he's been out of town for two of those three weeks." Sonny points out, handing her a glass of water. "He'll be back tomorrow and you'll see...everything's fine. He doesn't suspect anything. I'm sure of it."

"What if he does?" she counters. "What if he's close to finding out?"

"I won't let that happen." he swears with his whole heart. "I can't bear to lose him in my life, anymore than you can."

Shaking her head, Sam drinks the water, praying that Sonny's right and she wasn't losing her husband. After all it took to get them to where they are, Sam couldn't bear to lose Jason in her life, no matter how wrong she knows she is, she can't bear it if he were to walk out and never speak to her again.

"Anything else?" Johnny asks of Jason, securing his jacket around him.

"That's it." Jason says simply, glancing around the small cottage. "Just get her here. I'll handle the rest."

"Its good to see you like this, man." Johnny comments, shaking his head. "I'll be back with her later."

Watching Johnny walk out the door, Jason takes a deep breath before getting started on what he had planned. As far as anyone in Port Charles knows, he's not due to come back until the following day, giving him this entire day to himself. A day he hopes that she'll be willing to spend with him.

"My set! UGH!" Lucky shouts when she throws up all over the wipe plush props. "Come on, Elizabeth! God!"

"Oh, no, honey, I'm fine!" Elizabeth counters, feeling a new wave of nausea about to hit. "I'm just feeling a little dizzy and nauseated, no big deal!"

"It's gonna take me the rest of the day to get replacements!" he groans, waving her off. "Just...just go. We'll just have to finish the shoot tomorrow."

"Lucky!" she shouts, angry with how he's handling it, making everyone stop in awkward silence. "In case you've forgotten, I'm your wife! And I'm not feeling good!"

"Right." he sighs, walking over to her before holding out a fifty dollar bill. "I'm sorry you're not feeling good. Why don't you go to the doctor and make sure its nothing serious, huh? Wouldn't want to lose out on this cover, now, do we?"

"Right." she states through gritted teeth, walking off before she gives into that part of her mind that wanted to puke all over him.

"Liz, the money." he calls out to her.

"Keep your damn money!" she snaps before muttering. "You obviously need it more than I do."

Walking out of the room, she heads to the bathroom, intending to rinse her face and hopefully rid herself of this bug she has apparently come down with. The moment she walked into the bathroom, however, the smell that greets her in the restroom ends up making her puke her stomach out into the porcelain toilet.

Taking a deep breath, she wipes at her mouth before digging in her purse for her travel size mouth wash, needing to rid her mouth of that godawful taste. After using up the entire bottle, Elizabeth tests her breath and is satisfied with the smell and the taste. Now to get out of that place and away from her jerk husband for the rest of the day.

"Johnny?" she looks at him confusedly, glancing around but not finding Jason.

"Hi, Miss Elizabeth." Johnny greets her, smiling slightly when she walks over to him. "You okay? You look a little flushed."

"I'm not feeling too good." she admits. "I think I've caught a bug or something...I'll be fine though."

"Of course." he shakes his head before holding out the small card. "This is for you."

"Jason?" she looks at him after she reads it.

"I'm supposed to take you to him, if that's what you want."

"Yeah." she says without hesitation. "That's what I want."

Getting into the car, she settles back against the chair, staring out the window as he drives her to where Jason's waiting, a soft smile on her lips the whole way. The simple thought of seeing him again, after the weeks with him away, Elizabeth just couldn't wait.

"Jason." she breathes in relief, running into his waiting arms, being lifted from the ground once she was secure in his embrace. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." he whispers, both barely noticing Johnny driving away. "Hey...are you okay? You feel a little warmer than usual."

"I'm fine." she says automatically, sighing when he looks at her questioningly.

"You're skin is flush." he says seriously, touching his hand to her forehead. "I've got an emergency first aid kit inside...come on."

"Jason, I'm fine, really."

"Humor me."

Settling her on the couch inside, Jason grabs his kit before taking her temperature, smiling slightly when she obliges him and opens her mouth. With the beep of the thermometer, Jason takes it from her mouth, reading the temperature displayed on the small screen and shaking his head.

"You don't have that high of a temperature, but its high enough." he says seriously, putting the thermometer away. "You rest. I'll go get you some tea. It should help."

"Jason, you said it yourself, I don't have that high of a temperature." she takes hold of his hand to stop him, touched by how caring he's being, unlike her husband. "I'm fine, I promise."

"Still. I want you to take it easy." he says, smiling slightly when she rises to her feet. "Come on. I set a table for us in the dining room."

Following him into the dining room, she more than amazed at the set up he has done for them, it seemed all too romantic. Something her husband used to do for her before they got married, now its a miracle for him to be this romantic unless there's a camera around or important people that needed to be impressed.

"You sure you're okay?" Jason asks her when they sit down to eat.

"Yeah." she shakes her head. "I don't know what made me feel sick before, but its gone now. I'm fine."

"Good." he smiles slightly, picking up his fork. "Lets eat, then."

Through dinner they fill each other in on their time apart, he tells her as much as he can about the places he went, she tells him about spending time with Emily and how much harder it has become to fake it during the photo shoots. She leaves out the parts about her husband the way he leaves out parts about his wife.

As dinner comes to an end, Jason pulls her up from her chair, encircling his arms around her, swaying to the soft music coming from his sound system. For a last minute plan, it was falling right into place perfectly, making him thankful that he was able to get this right. Never one to be romantic in any shape or form before.

"Stay with me." he whispers, causing her to pull away and stare at him in confusion. "Tonight, I mean...stay with me tonight."

"I want to...really, I do..."

"But?"

"But I can't guarantee that I won't get sick again." she sighs, shaking her head. "I don't want you to see me like that."

"I don't mind."

"And you don't know how much that means to me." she smiles slightly. "Even so, its not your place to take care of me."

"Obviously your husband doesn't think its his place either." he counters, sighing when she looks at him a little shocked. "Sorry...I just mean..."

"No, you're right." she cuts him off, stepping out of his embrace. "He couldn't care less that I felt ill...all he cared about was the fact that I threw up all over his set."

"You threw up?"

"A lot." she laughs softly at the memory and how disgusting it looked splattered all over the white. "He was pretty upset about it, too. I doubt I've ever seen him that red before."

"He was more concerned for his set than his wife?"

"This shoot's important to him." she tries to defend, even though she was still pissed off about it. "I'm going to be on the cover of this issue...its supposed to help with other magazines...landing me on the cover that is."

"That's no excuse." he sighs, taking her hands in his. "Will you, please, just stay with me tonight?"

"Okay." she concedes, taking a deep breath. "If you're sure...I'll stay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." she smiles, seeing the relieved look in his eyes. "I'll stay."

"You look exhausted." he comments when she yawns. "Come on, lets get you to bed. It looks like you could use a good night's sleep."

"You're probably right." she yawns again, following him down the hall to the master bedroom. "A good night's sleep sounds perfect right about now."

Laying down with her in his arms, Jason watches as she slowly drifts off to sleep in his embrace, a soft smile on her lips as she does. Being in that moment with her, taking care of her while she's not feeling good, Jason tries to figure out why he feels so drawn to her.

For the entire two weeks that he was away, he couldn't rid his mind of her. There was no way to explain it, but he just had to be around her, to feel her skin against his, to see her smile and hear her hum. He just had to be in her life. As little or as much as she wanted.

Trying to figure out what was happening between them, he's reminded of something his grandmother had once told him about love. She had used two magnets to explain it to him, what true love was and why she could never truly leave Edward, no matter how obnoxious the old man could be.

Placing both negative parts of the magnet facing each other, she showed him what happened when you tried to put them together. No matter how hard either of them tried, you just couldn't get the magnets close enough to stay together, the magnetic force was too strong.

Unlike with a negative and a positive, instead of being impossibly hard to put them together, it was hard to take them apart. The magnetic force between the opposite ends was just too strong, it was damn near impossible to yank them apart, and that's how she explained it to him. That when you find true love, its near impossible for outer forces to tear them apart.

Maybe that's what's happening between him and Elizabeth, maybe it wasn't really up to them, maybe the force around them was just too strong to deny. Jason didn't really believe in fate or destiny, he always believed that people always have a choice, but - with her - he's starting to wonder.

Maybe there really is that one person everyone is destined to be with, maybe there really is such a thing as soulmates. And if there's such a thing as soulmates, maybe, just maybe, he has found his.

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Making Each Moment Last

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Six:  
Making Each Moment Last

Here she stands, redoing the photo shoot that she had ruined, staring directly into her husband's eyes, all the while thinking about the man she had walked away from just a few hours before. If her husband cared about her not being at home last night, he has yet to say anything or even act like he was bothered. Which, of course, proved to bother her more and more with each passing hour.

What happened to the caring man she had fallen in love with? What happened to the man that would worry over her if she was out of reach for more than ten minutes? What happened to the man that needed her beside him, just to know that she was okay, just to have her there? What happened to that man? Questions she has asked herself since she slept with Jason, questions without answers.

Being approved for a lunch break, Elizabeth walks off the set as her husband focuses on his images, glancing back at him one last time before walking out of the room, straight out the front door. Taking a deep breath when she breaks through to fresh air, she spots Johnny standing by his car. Smiling slightly, she walks over to him.

"Is this gonna become a habit?" Elizabeth asks him curiously. "You being here whenever I walk out of the building, I mean."

"Do you mind?" Johnny counters, smiling slightly.

"Not at all." she admits, having grown to like seeing him. "I was just headed to the diner for lunch."

"Need a ride?"

"Sure." she shakes her head. "I can definitely use one."

"Great." he opens up the back door. "Slide on in."

Closing the door once she's inside and buckled up, Johnny gets into the driver's seat before driving her to the diner, opening the door for her once they're parked. Elizabeth wasn't used to this, not when there aren't cameras around, but she finds that she doesn't mind it. Not when it comes from the heart and not out of an image.

"Hey!" Emily greets from behind the counter. "You okay?"

"Why do you ask?" Elizabeth looks at her confusedly.

"You look kinda..." Emily moves her hand from side to side. "You catch a bug or something?"

"I think so." Elizabeth admits, sitting down on one of the stools. "I'm hoping it goes away on its own. I'd rather not visit the doctor before I have to."

"I know what you mean." Emily laughs softly. "So...have you used that number I gave you?"

"You mean, your brother's?"

"No, the pope." Emily says sarcastically. "Of course I mean my brother's."

"I've called him a couple times." she admits, accepting the plate of food. "Why?"

"I can't believe you're gonna make me spell it out." Emily sighs, shaking her head. "Are you two...you know?"

"Are we what?"

"Elizabeth, seriously?" she groans. "Are you hooking up?"

"No?"

"Was that a question or an answer?"

"Yes?"

"Ugh!" Emily shakes her head. "You're just as bad as Jason."

"Sorry?"

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"You know what!" Emily states. "Forget it...I've decided that I don't want to know either way."

"Really?"

"Eat your food." Emily shakes her head, taking the order booklet. "I'll come back over here when you're done answering every question with a question."

"My bad?"

"Okay, now I know you're just screwing with me." Emily laughs softly. "Stop."

"Okay."

Laughing softly, Elizabeth watched Emily walk off to tend to the other customers when she spotted Jason through the diner window, immediately captivated by the sight of him. She was about to turn away before anyone noticed them staring at each other when he motioned for her to walk outside. Glancing around, she sees that no one was really paying attention to her, so she gets up and walks out of the diner.

"Hey." she greets him, allowing him to pull her off to the side, away from the foot traffic.

"Hi." he replies, holding her hand in his. "You okay?"

"I still feel a little iffy, but I'm fine." she admits, smiling slightly. "What about you?"

"Me?" he shakes his head. "I'm fine."

"If you say so." she gestures to the bruises on his knuckles. "I'd hate to see the other guy."

"Its nothing, really." he assures her. "Just part of the job."

"Ah, okay." she shakes her head. "Speaking of jobs...I should go finish my lunch and get back to work before my husband comes looking for me."

"Wouldn't want that."

"When will I see you again?"

"Not sure." he sighs, reaching up to caress her cheek. "Not that I don't want to..."

"Its okay." she assures, leaning into his touch. "We both have our lives...its okay."

"Next weekend...do you think you can find a way to get time away from your husband?"

"Why?"

"Well, if you can get time away from your life, I was thinking we could go somewhere." he admits, smiling slightly when she smiles brightly at him. "What do you say? Would you want to out of town with me?"

"I don't know how, but I'll make it work." she says without hesitation. "Next weekend, just you and me?"

"Just you and me." he promises. "I can't wait."

"Me either."

Claiming her lips swiftly, he kisses her soundly, pushing her up against the wall, getting a sudden flashback to their night in his old apartment. Pulling away before his mind takes him to places they shouldn't go out in public, Jason wraps his arms around her and holds her close for a moment longer.

"Next weekend." he says with conviction. "I don't know where we'll go..."

"Lets not plan it." she says quickly. "Lets just go where the road takes us."

"Fine with me." he says without hesitation. "See you then."

"See you then."

Kissing once more, Jason and Elizabeth go their separate ways, back to their lives and the trappings that hold them to their different worlds. One thing on both their minds, next weekend and hoping that it gets there faster than any other weekend before. Both knowing that this weekend could mean a drastic change in their relationship, Jason and Elizabeth couldn't wait. Two and a half days all to themselves. No worries about their spouses or their separate lives, two and a half days to just be together and be free. True heaven.

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Let the Heart Grow Fonder

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Seven:  
Let the Heart Grow Fonder

Packing up her stuff, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before zipping up her luggage and rolling it out to the front door. When she had asked her husband for a weekend off, the following weekend to be exact, she had not expected him to agree to it so easily.

She had, at the very least, expected him to complain about photo shoot scheduling and press gigs that he had set up for her. She didn't expect for him to approve her weekend off with the condition that she went on a week long tour. He didn't even ask her why she wanted the weekend off. She wonders if he even cares.

"Where you going?" Lucky calls out to her when she slips into her coat. "We have to be heading to the airport soon."

"Just heading to the diner to say goodbye to Emily." she says simply, grabbing her keys. "I'll be back soon. Promise."

"Well...just hurry." Lucky zips up his camera bag. "I don't want to be late for our flight."

"Of course not." she smiles slightly. "I'll be back with lots of time to spare."

"Why are you still standing here?" he says seriously. "Get going. The faster you go, the faster we can get to the airport."

"Right." she shakes her head, pulling open the door. "Why don't I just meet you there?"

"Sure, sure." Lucky says waving her off. "Our flight's in two hours. Make sure you're there by boarding call...which is in an hour and a half."

"I'll be there."

Walking out of the house, Elizabeth could have sworn that he must be a magician or something because he wasn't there the last time she looked out the window, yet there he was. Smiling slightly, she walks over to Johnny, who's standing by his car.

"Johnny." she says with curious eyes.

"Need a ride?" he smiles slightly, opening the door for her.

"Sure." she laughs softly, shaking her head. "I definitely need a ride."

"Good...slide on in."

Getting in, she waits for him to close her door for her before getting into the driver's side and driving her to the diner. She looked at him curiously when he opened her door, wondering how he knew she wanted to go to the diner, but she doesn't question it. She simply smiles at him before walking into the diner to check in with Emily.

"Hey, you." Emily greets her as she sets down a plate for a customer. "You look fancy...where you headed?"

"Out of town." she admits, slipping out of her coat. "Just wanted to stop by before I head to the airport."

"How long you gonna be gone?" Emily questions, pouring her a cup of coffee.

"A week at most." she assures her, smiling slightly as she plops down on a stool. "Lucky has a full tour planned. I'll be busy all week, but I don't mind."

"Sure you don't." Emily sighs, shaking her head. "Promise you'll call and send me postcards from every place you land?"

"I promise." she says wholeheartedly, taking her hand in his. "I'll be back before you know it."

"Uh-huh." Emily laughs softly, giving her hand a squeeze before releasing it. "So...have you told him?"

"Him who?" Elizabeth feigns ignorance.

"You know who." Emily says seriously, rolling her eyes when Elizabeth just smiles. "Have you told him?"

"Not yet." she concedes, taking a sip of her coffee. "I was gonna call him after I checked in with you."

"Go on." Emily shakes her head. "Go do stuff with my brother that you don't want me knowing about."

"I love you." she says softly, paying for the cup of coffee. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Love you, too." Emily walks around the counter to hug her goodbye. "Now get going."

"Okay."

A few streets over, Jason pinches his nose, growing more and more frustrated with the files sitting in front of him. How was he supposed to balance books when Sonny was just so damn careless with the numbers? Once again it falls on him to fix the mess and make it airtight for the tax people.

"Jason?" his wife says on a hushed tone before knocking softly on his office door. "Are you busy?"

"Yes." he answers honestly, setting down his pen. "What do you need?"

"Well, since you asked..." Sam walks further into his office, plopping down on one of the chairs. "I kind of need help with this case I've taken on."

"What kind of case is it?"

"Domestic abuse." Sam says carefully. "The husband's a cop."

"Sam..."

"I know, I know." she sighs, shaking her head. "I just can't let him get away with this, Jason. Its not right."

"I can't take on a cop right now."

"She's an innocent woman, Jason." Sam says seriously. "Isn't she the kind of people you help? The innocent?"

"Why doesn't she just leave him?"

"You think I haven't thought of that?" Sam counters. "He won't let her go. I'm running out of options...which leaves you."

"Fine." Jason sighs. "Leave the file and I'll look it over."

"Thank you." Sam gets up, walking over to kiss him softly. "See you at home."

"Yeah." he shakes his head. "Sure."

"I love you!"

Watching her walk out of the office, Jason leans back against his chair, rifling through the file to see what he was getting himself into. Just as he was about to flip the first page, his cellphone rings that certain tune, making him smile slightly as he shuts the file.

"Hey." he answers, tossing the file onto his desk. "You okay?"

"Yeah...you busy?"

"Don't worry about it." he says softly. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping we could meet somewhere." she admits, sitting in the backseat of Johnny's car. "Do you think you can?"

"Sure." he says as he rises to his feet. "How about your studio?"

"I'll meet you there."

"Okay. I'm on my way."

Leaving his office at the same time she leaves the diner, the two meet up at her door, wrapping their arms around each other in greeting. Pulling away, Elizabeth unlocks her studio door before letting him in, locking the door behind them. He could tell that she needed to tell him something, but he'll let her be the one to bring it up.

"I'm leaving town." she says carefully after a long moment. "For a week."

"Why?"

"A short tour." she shrugs, walking over to sit on the couch. "It was the only way he'd give me our weekend off."

"Oh." he utters, walking over to sit next to her. "So...a week?"

"Yeah." she shakes her head. "A week."

"That sucks."

"I know." she takes his hand in hers. "I guess, its just my turn to leave."

"I guess."

"At least we'll get to spend an entire weekend by ourselves." she reminds him, smiling slightly when his features relax. "I seriously can't wait to go away with you."

"Me either." he smiles slightly. "How long do you have?"

"Little over an hour."

"Okay." he takes a deep breath. "Maybe we should make the most of it."

"Yeah." she smirks. "Maybe we should."

Framing her face in his hands, Jason claims her lips swiftly, leaning her back against the couch as his body lays against hers. For the next hour, the two of them make love to each other like nothing else mattered in the world but them. It wasn't how he wanted their next time together to be, but he just couldn't let her leave without showing her how much she meant to him.

"I should get going." she says as she nestles into his side, closing her eyes.

"Yeah...I guess you should."

"When I get back..." she says softly, moving to look him in the eyes. "I'll be all yours for the weekend."

"Can't wait."

"I know." she smiles slightly. "Will you drive me to the airport?"

"Sure." he kisses her forehead softly. "Lets get dressed and I'll take you."

"Okay."

Getting dressed, the two of them walk out of her studio, hand in hand, before straddling his bike and heading to the airport. She's certain that her husband would have her luggage checked in by now and would be waiting by the boarding gate for her. Making showing up at the airport with Jason go undetected by him. As if he'd even care either way.

"See you when I get back." she says with a slight smile.

"Yeah." he leans in, kissing her softly. "See you then."

"Think of it this way..." she says simply. "Maybe this time away will let our hearts grow fonder."

"Yeah...maybe." he says before watching her walk into the airport, waving slightly before the door closes behind her. "If that's even possible."

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	8. One Pregnancy Two Pregnancies, Holy Hell

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Eight:  
One Pregnancy, Two Pregnancies, Holy Hell!

Walking into his penthouse, Jason is shocked at the state of his home, searching the overly decorated living room for his wife, he hears her off-key singing coming from the kitchen. Shaking his head, he shrugs out of his jacket, tossing it to the side before storing his gun. His usual routine taken care of, he decides to see what has gotten into his wife now.

"Oh, you're home early." his wife dusts her apron off before walking over to him. "How was your day?"

"What's going on here?" he looks at her curiously, having never seen her in their kitchen cooking before.

"I have a big surprise for you." she smiles brightly, leaning up and kissing him softly. "But before we get into that, dinner is just about ready. Why don't you grab a bottle of beer and go relax? I'll be right out."

"Okay." he says confusedly, taking his beer before walking back out into the living room, suddenly feeling like he has walked into an alternate reality.

Settling into his club chair with his beer, he decides that he best relax now before his wife joins him, having a feeling that he won't be that relaxed once she gives him her big surprise. Whatever had his wife feeling all, whatever the word was, Jason wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"This can't be right." Elizabeth looks at herself in the mirror, trying to zip up the zipper on her dress, but finding it stuck. "I just bought this dress."

Slipping out of it, she looks at the size and shakes her head, its the right size. Glancing at herself in the mirror before staring at the dress, Elizabeth couldn't understand why she couldn't zip it up. The zipper works just fine, she always tests them out before she buys clothes, so what was it? Shaking her head, she moves to try on other dresses that would do for the event, but none of them would zip.

"Lucky!" she shouts, tossing the last dress onto the floor before she turns towards the door.

"You called?" he asks, sticking his head in.

"Did you send my dresses out for cleaning?" she looks at him seriously.

"No." Lucky looks at her like she has lost her mind. "That's not my job. Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"I can't fit any of my dresses." she throws her hands up. "It doesn't make any sense! I just bought a new dress for the event and it doesn't fit either!"

"Well, you have been putting on a few pounds." Lucky shrugs, pulling out his cellphone. "I'll go handle the event for tonight. I'll tell them you were feeling ill or something. You can go to the gym first thing in the morning."

"Excuse me?" she looks at him in shock. "I've been what?"

"Don't look so surprised." Lucky sighs, shaking his head. "You've been eating more than enough dessert to feed us both."

"Just get out of here!" she snaps, turning away from him to stare at herself in the mirror as her husband leaves the room.

If she's gained so much weight, why can't she tell the difference. Its her body. She should be able to tell, right? Turning to the side, Elizabeth almost fell over in shock, there it was. It wasn't fat, it wasn't visible to her because it wasn't chubbiness that she's put on. Her hips have gotten slightly wider and her breast have grown a little more plump.

"Oh, my god." she turns to face herself, sliding her hands over her stomach. "It couldn't be that...I can't be..."

As the thought enters her mind, Elizabeth started to feel sicker by the second, if she was that...suffice to say that no amount of hours at the gym will help her regain her form, she was bound to get bigger and bigger rather than thinner and thinner. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth calls the one person that could help her in this situation.

"I need your help." Elizabeth shuts her eyes tightly. "I know you're right outside the building...please get up here...and Johnny?"

"Yeah?" Johnny's voice is filled with concern.

"Bring a pregnancy test."

"A what?"

"You heard me." she says seriously. "Please, hurry."

"I'm on my way."

Ending the call, Elizabeth plops herself down on her bed, glancing over at the pile of dresses she had cast aside. Right now the only question in her mind is if she is or not, depending on the results of her pregnancy test, new questions will either come into play or she'll just need a personal trainer. If she is, the one burning question that will top all the rest, how will Jason and Lucky react?

"Come on, Jason." Sam says softly, sitting on his lap. "Can't you just relax and enjoy yourself?"

"I guess." he says simply, allowing her to pull him up. "What could it hurt?"

"Exactly." Sam tosses him a pool stick. "How about a game? You can even go first."

"No lagging?" he looks at her curiously. "Since when do we not lag?"

"First time for everything." she shrugs. "Go ahead. Take your shot."

Whatever this big surprise was, Jason was growing more and more anxious as the night progressed. The bright smile on his wife's face, the constant questions about his day and how he's doing, letting him go first in their game, something was definitely up. Something huge.

"Okay, enough is enough." Jason stops her from grabbing him another beer. "I can't take it anymore. What's the surprise?"

"You never were too good with surprises." she laughs softly, pulling him over to the couch to sit down with him. "I wanted to wait until we were in bed and have made love to tell you this, but okay...if you want to know now...here it is."

"What is this?" he looks at her confusedly, holding the small box in his hands.

"Open it." she insists, sitting by anxiously, wanting to see his reaction.

"What is this?" he asks her, holding up a pair of small booties, hoping it didn't mean what he assumes it means.

"Remember that appointment I had the other day?" Sam questions, continuing when he shakes his head. "Well, after some tests, they gave me the news we've always wanted! We're gonna be parents, Jason!"

"You're..." he couldn't even say the word.

"Pregnant!" she says excitedly, throwing her arms around him. "Isn't this the greatest surprise you've ever had?"

"Its a surprise alright." he mutters, holding her in his arms. "Definitely, a surprise."

"I know its crazy, but I can't wait to meet our baby!" she smiles brightly, kissing him soundly. "You're gonna be a great daddy! Don't ask how I know that...I just do!"

Pacing back and forth in her bathrobe, Elizabeth stares at the little stick, wishing the results would hurry up and settle. Johnny, who's sitting on her bed, simply watches her as she continues her pacing, wondering what the results would be, as well.

"What are you going to do if you are?" Johnny questions, hoping she'd stop staring at the thing and it works.

"I don't know." she admits, walking over to plop down next to him. "I honestly don't know."

"Don't kill me for asking, but..."

"You don't have to ask." she sighs, running one hand through her hair. "If I am...the only possible father would be Jason."

"Jason? Are you sure?"

"Me and my husband...suffice to say that we haven't been intimate in a long time." Elizabeth takes a deep breath, feeling more anxious than before. "If I'm...if I am...its Jason's. There's no doubt about that."

"Will you tell him?"

"Sure." she shakes her head. "I'll just walk right up to him and say, I know you're married and we both know that what we have isn't serious, but I just thought you should know I'm pregnant and you're the father."

"Why not?"

"Right." she stands up, walking over to the test. "Hurry up, already!"

The ding rings through the room, catching them both by surprise, prompting her to pick up the stick and read the results. Staring at the small screen, she stands frozen, unable to process what was presented to her on the small little thing.

"Well, don't leave me hanging, what does it say?"

"I'm..." she lifts her gaze to stare at him. "I'm..."

"You're pregnant." he guesses by the look on her face.

"Y-Yeah." she grips the stick, walking into his open arms and shutting her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Just as it starts to sink in that she's pregnant, her cellphone rings, pulling them out of the moment long enough to look at the device. Glancing at each other, Elizabeth walks over to it, picking it up to see who it was.

"Its Jason." she whispers, looking at Johnny. "What do I do?"

"Tell him." he says simply, smiling slightly.

"Okay." she shakes her head, lifting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey...its me." Jason's voice gives her pause. "I...I know you're coming back in a couple days, but..."

"But what?"

"We can't go away this weekend." he sighs, shutting his eyes tightly. "Or any weekend."

"Why?" she questions, fighting off her tears, but incapable of keeping it from her voice.

"My wife needs me." he says carefully. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but we can't see each other anymore."

"Where was this concern for your wife when you were with me?" she counters, her voice sounding so broken that it was killing him.

"Its different now."

"How is it different?"

"She's pregnant." he blurts out, taking a deep breath. "No matter what I feel for you, Elizabeth...I made my vows and its only right that I uphold them now."

"Congratulations." she whispers, shutting her eyes. "Two kids at one time...that must be a new one for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant." she says plainly. "And you're the father."

"You're..."

"Yeah...but you're right." she takes a deep breath. "You made your vows to her...you should stay with her. I'll be fine."

"Elizabeth, I..."

"It was great while it lasted, Jason." she barely gets out, leaning against Johnny when he walks over to wrap his arms around her. "I hope you have a great life...I'm sure you'll make a great father to your child...goodbye."

Ending the call, Elizabeth slumps against Johnny, heartbreaking as her tears fall harder and faster. Back in Port Charles, Jason slumps down on his couch, cradling his glass of whiskey in his hands, unable to believe what had just happened.

Ending things with Elizabeth was the hardest thing he had ever had to do, but now it was pure torture. Not only was it possible that she was his soulmate, but now she's going to be the mother of his child. On the one hand, he has his wife that's pregnant. On the other, he has his beautiful Elizabeth that's also pregnant. What's he supposed to do now?

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Turn On A Dime

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Nine:  
Turn On A Dime

Sitting in her house, Elizabeth looks around at her half empty home, amazed at how different it looked without Lucky's things scattered about. If anyone would have told her that her life could change so drastically in a matter of less than two months, Elizabeth never would have believed them. Yet there she was, her life completely altered and no way of putting things right again.

Telling Lucky that she was pregnant had gone down a lot like she had imagined it. She just didn't imagine him telling her all the things he did, but it put her entire marriage into perspective, making her feel less guilty by the minute, the more he spoke the less she felt guilty.

_"Are you gonna say something?" Elizabeth looks at him seriously. "I just told you I'm pregnant and you're not the father."_

_"I'm sorry, I've just been trying to find a way to save our careers, which there isn't one!" Lucky snaps, shaking his head. "How could you be so selfish?! After everything we worked for...getting married and keeping up appearances...all that hard work is pointless now!"_

_"Wha..." she looks at him like he had just sucker punched her. "You don't care that I slept with a man that wasn't you...just that it has ruined our careers?"_

_"What do you think this marriage has been about?" Lucky glares at her. "Now I have to find a way to spin your sudden retirement and find me a new model atop of that! Why must you always make my life harder?!"_

_Elizabeth stared at him in heartbreaking awe, she had suspected that this was the case, but it was torture to hear. All the years she had put into her marriage, thinking it had been about love, to find out for sure that it was all about their careers...it was definitely a hard reality pill to swallow._

_"What are we going to tell the press tomorrow?"_

_"Oh, now you care about our image?" Lucky scoffs. "As always, I'll handle it."_

_"Whatever." Elizabeth sighs, hugging her arms around her abdomen. "What about our marriage? How are we handling that, oh Wise One?"_

_"Expect divorce papers once the media buzz dies down." Lucky states, gathering his luggage. "My things will be out of our house by the time we get back to town."_

If nothing else, her husband's definitely good at playing the media to his needs, something she finds strangely impressive. He'd probably be able to sell them a piece of junk if he prettied it up the way he's perfect at doing. Which makes her feel better about their marriage because he had played her like he played everyone else.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Taking a deep breath, she walks over to her door, pulling it open to find her mother on the other side. To say that she was shocked would be more than an understatement. For her mother to make the venture to Port Charles of all places, it had to be huge.

"I got on our private plane the moment I got your message." her mother, Carol, says, walking past Elizabeth and dropping her luggage to the side. "Have you considered all your options?"

"Options?" Elizabeth looks at her mother curiously after she shuts the door. "What options?"

"I figured you'd say something like that." Carol shakes her head, pulling out a few pamphlets from her purse. "You have more than enough options."

"You want me to consider having an abortion?" Elizabeth stares at her in shock. "Are you insane?"

"Not just abortion." Carol sighs, pulling out more pamphlets. "I want you to consider every option."

"Oh." Elizabeth breathes a sigh of relief when her mother hands her adoption pamphlets along with ones regarding mothers-to-be. "Thanks, mom."

"I'm your mother." Carol wraps her arms around her daughter. "There's no need to thank me."

"Yes, there is." Elizabeth pulls away slightly. "You dropped everything and flew to the one place you hate the most, for me...thank you."

"I didn't fly to Port Charles...I flew to you." Carol says softly. "And I could never hate you."

"I love you, too, mom."

"Okay, so, while you look those over, I'll go put on a pot of tea." Carol says, shrugging out of her coat. "Your brother should be arriving shortly while your father should be flying in some time tomorrow."

"You called daddy and Steven?"

"What did you expect?" Carol looks at her curiously. "You're hurting and..."

"When one Webber hurts, we all hurt." Elizabeth smiles slightly. "What about Sarah?"

"You know your sister." Carol says plainly. "Now, you look those over and I'll get that tea started. Chamomile is still your favorite, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Everything will be okay, baby. I'll make sure of it." Carol kisses her cheek before walking off to the kitchen.

Watching her mother walk off to the kitchen, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel like things were actually looking up. In spite of everything in her life that has changed, she was thankful that she could still count on the support of her family, something that she didn't have all the time, but something she was thankful to have now more than ever.

"What?" Emily looks at her brother in complete shock. "Not only is your wife pregnant, but you got my best friend pregnant, as well?"

"Why don't you say that a little louder, Emily?" Jason questions seriously. "I don't think they heard you in Africa!"

"Oh, don't even try to scold me, right now." Emily states firmly. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Right, because I planned this!"

"Ever heard of using a condom?" Emily counters. "God, Jason!"

"Would you stop scolding me and help me figure out what to do?"

"You made your bed, lay in it." Emily says simply. "There's no way I can help you with this."

"Emily, please." Jason practically begs. "You're the only person I can talk to about this...please."

"Okay...fine." Emily sighs, plopping down on his couch. "If neither of them were pregnant, who would you want to be with? Sam...or Elizabeth?"

"Elizabeth." he admits, taking a deep breath. "There's no question on that."

"Well, then, there's your answer."

"I'm married to Sam."

"And?" Emily counters. "Do you really think a child should be brought up in a home where its father doesn't love its mother? A child is no reason to stay together, Jason."

"People used to get married on a pregnancy alone."

"Yeah, back in the old ages." Emily scoffs. "You can still be a father to your child without being married to Sam."

"I don't know."

"I know you're worried about your unborn child Sam's carrying, but you need to remember that you have another unborn child to consider." Emily gets up, kissing his forehead softly. "You're everyone's voice of reason, Jason...just take your own advice and follow your heart. I'll see you later."

"Where you going?"

"Where do you think?" Emily smiles slightly. "There's a certain best friend of mine that needs me a little more than you do, right now."

"Thanks for coming."

"Any time, big brother." Emily says wholeheartedly, pulling open the door. "You'll do the right thing, Jason...you always do."

Walking out of his penthouse, Emily leaves her brother to his thoughts, deciding that she was needed elsewhere. In spite of all the ways this was wrong, Jason making her best friend pregnant while they are married to other people, she had to put that aside and be there for both of them. She had no right to judge and she won't.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

"Hey, baby sister." Steven greets her when she opens the door, enveloping her in his arms. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm okay." she says simply, pulling away slightly to look at him. "I'm glad you could come."

"Nowhere I'd rather be." Steven shrugs out of his coat, walking further into the house. "Thankfully you've got enough room to house me in this place...hell, you could probably house the whole Webber family in this place."

"Probably." she laughs softly, shaking her head. "You know, when I called mom, I hadn't expected you all to drop everything to be here for me."

"Because you slept with someone who wasn't your husband?" Steven guesses, shaking his head. "We all hated that prick anyway. For better or worse, Lizzie, we're family. That's a bond that comes unconditionally."

"Good to know."

Leaving a note for his wife, Jason hops on his bike and heads out of town for a much needed ride through the country. If he can't be with Elizabeth for their weekend away, he's going to take the weekend to figure out what the hell he's going to do with his life. His sister's words playing through his head, Jason must figure out the best way to handle his situation that would result in the least amount of damage for those he cares about.

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	10. I'll Stand By You

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Ten:  
I'll Stand By You

Waking up to the smell of breakfast cooking on the stove, Elizabeth had to take a moment to remember the changes that have occurred in her life. As the realization dawns on her that her family have moved into her home, she pulls herself out of bed to get ready to face the day. It was strange how the simple knowledge of having her family's support could change her attitude for the day.

Taking a long hot shower, she feels the tenseness leave her body, causing her muscles to relax and feel a lot better than she had a moment ago. Washing her stomach, Elizabeth couldn't help but smile slightly, knowing that a life was growing within her. That she would soon be a mother to a little baby boy or girl. Though it was still hard to come to terms with, she had to admit that she loved the idea of being a mom.

Getting dressed and fixing herself up, Elizabeth walks out of her bedroom, following the sound of her family laughing and joking around, bringing her to the doorway of her kitchen. A sight she hasn't seen in a long time greets her.

Her dad and brother washing dishes as her mother cooks. Just watching her mom, how easily she moves about, like taking care of her family was the easiest thing in the world, Elizabeth grew to love the idea more and more. Seeing her mother like this, becoming a mother didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Hey, kiddo." her father's the first to greet her, walking over and kissing her forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than usual." she admits, smiling slightly when her mother turns to smile at her.

"Good, good." her father shows her to the stool by the counter. "Sit and I'll pour you a cup of tea."

"Daddy, I'm pregnant." Elizabeth points out. "I can still do stuff on my own."

"Humor your old man." Jeff smirks, grabbing one of her tea cups. "Its been quite some time since you let anyone take care of you."

"Okay." she concedes, shaking her head. "You win."

"Way to fold, Lizzie." Steven laughs, turning towards the door when a knock sounds through the house. "I'll get it."

"No...I'll get it." Elizabeth hops off the stool. "Don't you have dishes to dry?"

"Dang." Steven chuckles. "Here I thought the old Lizzie died a long time ago."

"Steven." their mother says warningly.

"Only in your dreams." Elizabeth laughs softly before walking off to answer the door. "Sarah?"

"I cannot believe I am in this ratty town again." Sarah states, walking past her into the house and dropping her bags before looking at Elizabeth. "I must really love you."

"Its good to see you, too, sis." Elizabeth shakes her head, accepting the hug that her sister's offering. "Mom kind of implied that you weren't coming."

"As much as I hate this town, I wasn't going to." Sarah admits, shrugging out of her coat. "But...family's family...so here I am."

Smiling slightly, Elizabeth shakes her head, unable to put into words what she was feeling in that moment. For her sister to make the venture, this really was turning out to be a really good day. For all the bad changes that have happened, the good ones are outweighing it by a ton.

"Look who I found at the door." Elizabeth says as she walks into the kitchen with Sarah.

"Nice of you to show your face, brat." Steven says teasingly, smirking slightly.

"Nice to see you, too, butt-face." Sarah smirks, punching his arm. "Not all of us are itching to be back in this town like you."

"Eh, to each their own." Steven shrugs, plopping down on the stool.

"Mother, father." Sarah greets her parents, kissing both their cheeks. "Food smells great, mom."

"Thank you." Carol smiles slightly. "And thank you for showing up for your sister."

"Webbers stick together." Sarah shrugs, smacking Steven's hand when he reaches for one of their mother's muffins. "Some things never change, huh, Steve?"

"What can I say?" Steven shrugs. "I'm a creature of habit."

"Well, you got the creature part right." Sarah laughs, plopping down beside him. "Never thought I'd say this, but its good to be home."

"Amen to that." Jeff says, handing Elizabeth her cup of tea.

It has been such a long time since breakfast at her house has been this lively, making her realize just how much she missed her family. It was always easy to be away from them, knowing that they were all doing what made them happy, knowing that their lives were great. Having them under her roof, though, it just made her realize how lonely she had really been without them around.

"Emily!" Elizabeth smiles slightly, seeing her best friend at her door. "Hey, come on in."

"I came by the other day, but Steven said you were asleep." Emily feels the need to say, shrugging out of her coat. "So, your whole family's here?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Even Sarah."

"Wow." Emily knew, better than anyone, how huge that was. "That's good."

"Jason told you?"

"Yeah...he told me." Emily concedes. "You okay?"

"For the most part." Elizabeth admits, smiling slightly. "Having my family here helps a lot."

"And Lucky?"

"Like my modelling career, our marriage is over." Elizabeth sighs, leaning back against the couch. "Its okay, though...I'm okay."

"Your whole life has changed and, yet, you still have the ability to smile and look on the bright side."

"I learnt that from you." Elizabeth points out, smiling. "There's no point in dwelling on things we can't change, right?"

"Right." Emily shakes her head. "Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and remind you that I'm here for you."

"I know you are." Elizabeth shakes her head. "You're one of the few people that I can rely on to always be there."

"Is it wrong that I'm excited about you making me an aunt?" Emily questions, looking at her warmly.

"Its not wrong." Elizabeth shakes her head. "You're allowed to feel how you want."

"Well, I should get going." Emily says, rising to her feet, tilting her head when she spots a few pamphlets on the side table. "Uh...you'll call if you need anything, right?"

"Of course." Elizabeth assures her. "I'll call the moment I think of something."

"Great." Emily hugs her closely, a little taken aback by the information on the pamphlets. "You do that."

Walking out of the apartment, Emily hops in her car and heads to the one person she feels the need to see, now more than ever. Taking the elevator up to the penthouse level, she knocks on the door repeatedly until someone answers. She hoped it would be her brother, but accepted it when Sam was the one to open the door.

"Emily?" Sam looks at her curiously. "Is everything okay? You were knocking like there was some kind of fire."

"No fire." Emily shakes her head. "I just need to see Jason...is he here?"

"No, he's at Jake's." Sam admits. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, sure." Emily says simply. "Everything's...everything's fine. I heard you're pregnant...congratulations."

"Thank you." Sam smiles brightly. "I'm really excited to be a mom."

"I'm sure you are." Emily shakes her head. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to see my brother. Congratulations, again."

"Thanks." Sam says as Emily hits the down button. "And I hope everything turns out okay...whatever's bothering you, I mean."

"So do I." Emily admits, walking onto the elevator and riding it back down to the lobby.

"Whoa!" Johnny blurts out when she almost knocks him over. "Where's the fire?"

"Just need to see Jason." Emily says quickly. "Sorry about that."

"No sweat." Johnny shakes his head. "Is this about Elizabeth?"

"Something like that." Emily admits. "Nothing for you to worry about, though."

"Okay." Johnny accepts. "Well, drive carefully."

"Always do." she says before booking it out of the towers and heading to Jake's. "There you are!"

"I heard you were looking for me." Jason counters, dropping the pool stick. "What's wrong?"

"Have you figured out what you're going to do?" Emily retorts, eyeing him intently.

"Not yet." Jason sighs, running one had down his face. "I mean, I know what I'm going to do, not how I'm going to do it."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'm leaving Sam." Jason concedes, taking a deep breath. "I just haven't found a way to do it."

"Well, you be better find a way and quickly."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"I was just at Elizabeth's place and she had pamphlets on her table."

"Okay...and?"

"Abortion pamphlets, Jason." Emily says seriously. "She had abortion pamphlets on her table."

"She wouldn't...would she?"

"I honestly don't know." Emily shakes her head. "Her life has changed so much because of this pregnancy...I honestly don't know what she'll decide."

"What do mean her life has changed?"

"Lucky left her and her modelling career is as good as dead." Emily concedes. "Whatever she's thinking, as far as the pregnancy goes, she's not opening up to me about it. Maybe its because you're the father, but...word to the wise, figure things out quickly before its too late."

With her family out of the house for the time being, Elizabeth decides to relax with a cup of hot cocoa, putting on soft music to help her feel more relaxed. Before long, she'll be getting pretty stressed out when she starts looking for a job. For now, she just wants to relax.

"And, of course, the universe won't grant me that much." Elizabeth shakes her head, pulling herself up off the couch to pull open the door. "Jason?"

"Can we talk?" Jason questions carefully. "Its okay if you don't want to see me."

"Last time I checked, you were the one that didn't want to see me." she counters, stepping aside. "Not the other way around."

"I'm sorry for how I handled that." Jason admits, walking past her into the house, turning when she shuts the door. "I shouldn't have done it like that."

"Why did you?"

"I knew I'd never be able to do it in person." Jason concedes, smiling slightly. "I knew if I saw you...I wouldn't walk away."

"Right." Elizabeth walks further into the house, plopping down on her couch. "Why are you here, Jason?"

"Emily told me about Lucky." Jason admits, walking over to sit on the table in front of her. "And about your modelling career."

"Don't feel bad...I hated modelling."

"I know you did." Jason shakes his head. "But, I am sorry your life changed so much because of me."

"Is that why you came by?" she counters. "To apologize for how my life has changed while yours has stayed the same?"

"No...I just wanted you to know that, whatever you decide to do in regard to our baby...I'll stand by you." Jason says carefully. "No matter what you decide."

"Whatever I decide?" Elizabeth looks at him curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"I just know that there are a lot of options for you to consider." Jason explains. "And whatever you choose, I won't stand in your way."

"Okay." she says simply, rising to her feet to pull open the door. "You can go now."

"In spite of what you may think, I really do care about you." Jason says carefully, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "A lot, actually."

"You have a funny way of showing it." Elizabeth says simply. "Goodbye, Jason."

"Goodbye, Elizabeth."

* * *

**Reviews politely encouraged! :D Hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Reading Between the Lines

**Disclaimer: Anything remotely recognizable as being a part of the cannon General Hospital.**

**Claiming any artistic creativity thought up by yours truly. Copy Writers be fore shamed.**

* * *

~*~**  
If It Makes You Happy  
**~*~

Chapter Eleven:  
Reading Between the Lines

In spite of her every effort, Elizabeth just couldn't get her encounter with Jason out of her mind. Something about the way he spoke, the look in his eyes, and the words he said, something just wasn't adding up. Or maybe it was and she just wasn't seeing it. With a sigh, she pulls herself out of bed, needing to get ready to face her day and find a new job.

Her parents have taken up temporary positions with General Hospital, letting her know they were on their way out early that morning, taking her brother with them. Something about putting him to work while they're in town.

Knowing what kind of work her brother was into, she couldn't help but smile slightly at the irony. The kid that usually did whatever it took to get on the police's bad side is now a forensic consultant. How ironic. Which left her sister, who has decided to be lazy for once and not jump on the job train.

"Hey, baby sister." Sarah greets, sliding over a cup of tea, laughing softly at Elizabeth's expression. "Relax, Lizzie, mom made it before she left. I wouldn't dare try to make you a cup of tea."

"Right." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Thanks."

"No problem." Sarah shrugs, flipping through her magazine. "So, where you headed?"

"Thought I'd go job hunting." Elizabeth admits, plopping down on a stool. "What about you? Any big plans for today?"

"If by big plans you mean, sitting on the couch pigging on in front of a I Love Lucy marathon, then, yeah." she shakes her head. "Huge plans."

"Fair enough." Elizabeth downs the rest of her tea before rising to her feet. "Ice-cream's in the big freezer and the rest of my junk food is locked away in the top shelf."

"Good to know." Sarah smirks. "And good luck with the job hunt. Better me than you, I always say."

"Right."

Walking out into her living room, Elizabeth's eyes divert to the abortion pamphlets that lay just atop of the adoption pamphlets. As Jason's words sink in, she picks up the pamphlets and drops them into the trash bin, feeling the sudden urge to rid them from her sight.

Letting out a deep breath, she picks up her purse and coat before heading out of her house, feeling a sudden sense of control. Now to figure out what the hell Jason was up to the other day and put her life back into perspective.

"Hey, Liz." Emily greets her, handing her the newspaper. "Figured you might need that when you told me about the job hunting."

"Thanks." Elizabeth smiles slightly, taking the paper before sitting down at the counter, not at all surprised that Emily hasn't flipped the closed sign yet. "You know, I can't believe you told Jason about me and Lucky."

"Actually...I kind of only told him that because of the other thing I told him."

"What other thing?"

"That I saw abortion pamphlets on your table." Emily winces. "Don't hate me."

"Now I get it." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Did you really think I'd ever get an abortion?"

"No?"

"I thought you knew me better than that." Elizabeth looks at her seriously. "My mom brought those by, along with adoption pamphlets and what to expect when you're expecting pamphlets. She wanted me to weigh all my options. You know my mother, always the planner."

"Oh." Emily smiles apologetically. "Now I feel stupid."

"You should have just asked me when you saw them." Elizabeth points out. "Instead of running to your brother."

"I kind of freaked, okay?" Emily admitted. "Sue me."

"I should get going." Elizabeth hops down. "You do know its past time for that sign to be flipped, right?"

"Eh, I'll get to it." Emily laughs softly. "I'm sorry for running to Jason the way I did."

"Its okay." Elizabeth assures, smiling slightly. "If not for you, I just might have believed that I didn't mean anything to him."

"So...does that mean..."

"That means that you're going to stay out of it." Elizabeth says simply. "See you later, Em."

Making her way out of the diner, she heads towards the docks, needing the comfort of the docks as she dives into the hectic life of job hunting. The smell of the ocean is the first to hit her sending a calming sensation to flood through her.

Next is the soft sound of the water clashing up against the lower deck, making her smile slightly, reminding her of all the times she had spent sketching on that deck to ease her daily anxieties. Of course, most of those times, she had Lucky right there beside her.

Shaking her head of thoughts of her soon-to-be ex-husband, Elizabeth sits down on the bench and starts flipping through the newspaper, breezing through most of the articles before she finally lands on the help wanted section. Crossing her fingers, she hopes and prays that she can find a good job within the published ads.

"You're leaving me?!" Sam looks at him in complete shock. "You can't leave me! I'm pregnant! We're gonna be parents, for God's sake, Jason!"

"Did I say anything about leaving you?"

"You didn't have to!" Sam practically shouts. "I heard you talking to Sonny...I saw it in your eyes when he mentioned me...how can you be leaving me?"

"Sam..."

"Oh, god." Sam sighs, turning away from him. "That tone...god, I hate that tone."

"What tone?"

"That tone you use when you're gonna tell me something you know I'm gonna hate." Sam groans, looking at him sternly. "Who is she? And don't even fix those lips to say that there's no other woman...there has to be another woman if you're going to leave me and your unborn child."

"Sam..."

"If you think that I'm gonna let this bitch break up our family, you've got another thing coming." Sam snaps. "After everything we've been through, how could you be doing this, right now?"

"Samantha!" he shouts, needing her to shut up already. "You done?"

"Depends on what you have to say."

"This wasn't how I wanted to do it...I actually didn't know how to do it." Jason sadly admits, shaking his head. "But...yes, I am leaving you."

"I knew it!"

"And yes, there's someone else." Jason concedes, taking a deep breath. "And she's pregnant."

"She's...you son of a bitch!" she swears, glaring daggers at him. "If you think that I'm going to let that woman's child anywhere near our child..."

"I can't think that far ahead." Jason sighs, shaking his head. "I'm trying to do what I've always done and stick with the truth...and the truth is that I'm not in love with you anymore."

"Let me guess, you're in love with your new woman, is that it?"

"I never wanted to hurt you." Jason says carefully. "Its just that...if it were me, I'd want to know."

"I'm not you."

"Would you rather I lied and continued to see her behind your back?" Jason counters. "Or go with Francis's plan and fake my death before running away with her to make a living in some unknown country?"

"I'm not gonna make this easy for you." Sam says, tears in her eyes. "I'm gonna make this a living hell!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Jason grabs his travel bag. "I'll get the rest of my stuff later...you can keep the penthouse."

"Oh, how generous of you." she says sarcastically. "Next you'll tell me that you'll be here for me whenever me or the baby need you."

"I intend to be a father to your baby." Jason pulls open the door. "Whether you let me or not...well, that's up to you."

"I won't deprive my child of a father."

"Okay." Jason shakes his head. "I'm truly sorry things ended up this way."

"Oh, just go away."

Handing his things off to Johnny, he heads down to his motorcycle, feeling the need to see Elizabeth and hoping she'd be where he thinks she'd be. As the doors close to the elevators, Jason is oblivious to the slight smirk on Johnny's face. The guard hoping that this would be the beginning of something better for his friends.

"Elizabeth." he says carefully, finding her sitting on the bench with her head thrown back and the newspaper resting on her lap.

"I hate job hunting." she mutters, turning her head to look at him. "You know, for a guy that said we shouldn't see each other, you're really bad at it."

"I know." he smiles slightly, gesturing to the bench. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." she shrugs, making room for him. "I finally get what you were trying to say the other day."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." she leans over, kissing his cheek. "And, just so you know, abortion was never something I'd consider."

"But the pamphlets that Emily saw..."

"Were from my mother." she explains. "Her way of making sure I've thought it through."

"Oh."

"You could have just asked."

"I know...I probably should have."

"Would you have really stood by me if I were to have an abortion?" she looks at him curiously.

"If it would have made you happy...yeah."

"Wow." she shakes her head. "Okay."

"I left my wife."

"Well, that was random." she looks at him confusedly. "What do I say to that?"

"You can say that we can hangout." he counters, unsure of how he was going to tell her the rest of it. "Like we did that day in your studio."

"Which time?" she says teasingly. "The first time...or the other time?"

"Why don't we go up and see where it takes us?"

"Sounds perfect."

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